Apparatus for forming disposable undergarment

ABSTRACT

A disposable undergarment forming apparatus and methods are provided for forming disposable undergarments. The apparatus preferably includes a core former positioned to form a stream of undergarment cores. The core former includes a mat securer positioned to secure each of a plurality of undergarment mats to a sheet of a polymeric material and a first separator positioned downstream from the mat securer for separating the stream of undergarment cores into a plurality of individual cores. An elastic waistband former preferably is positioned adjacent the core former for forming elastic waistbands. A waistband securer is positioned downstream from the core former and positioned to receive the elastic waistbands from the elastic waistband former for securing the waistbands to the plurality of individual undergarment cores to thereby form a chain of a plurality of undergarments. A folder is positioned downstream from the waistband securer for folding each of the plurality of undergarments of the chain. A side connector is positioned downstream from the folder for connecting at least the side peripheries of the waistbands of the plurality of undergarments of the chain. The apparatus also preferably includes a second separator positioned downstream from the side connector for separating the plurality of undergarments of the chain into individual disposable undergarments.

This application is a divisional of Ser. No. 08/667,518 filed on Jun.21, 1996 now U.S. Pat. No. 5,879,500.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This application is related to the manufacture of disposable productsand, more particular, to a disposable undergarment apparatus and methodof forming undergarments.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Over the years, consumers have shifted demand from cloth diapers todisposable diapers for infants and toddlers. This demand has increasedand developed the disposable diaper industry into a major industry. Asthis industry developed, consumers preferred and often demandedimprovements in disposable products which included better coreabsorbency, products which are easier to fasten, detach, and reattachside peripheries of the waistbands, various sizes of products forvarious weights and sizes of infants and toddler, and better control ofleakage from the legs and waistbands when the diaper is positioned on aninfant or toddler.

This development of the disposable diaper industry, however, hasincreased demand for faster and more efficient disposable undergarmentproduction. This demand is further complicated by the development ofdisposable infant and toddler briefs, which have a different productconfiguration and have different product performance requirements thandisposable diapers. Also, because of the relative success of thedisposable diapers and the high volume of disposable diaper productsproduced in manufacturing, the market for toddler briefs has generallybeen a much smaller subset of the infant and toddler disposable diapermarket. The demand for toddler briefs in general is substantially lessthan the disposable diapers. Accordingly, these specially configuredbriefs are not normally produced on the same production line as thedisposable diaper production line. Because the market demand for thesebriefs is less, product manufacturers are less inclined to invest inadditional machinery for producing these products. The productmanufacturer, however, is also pushed by retailers and consumers toprovide a full-line of disposable products for infants and toddlers.

Additionally, as the nursing home care and elderly care industry hasgrown over the years, the elderly often have needed more and moreassistance from nursing home or elderly care personnel, includingurination and bowel movement assistance. Urination and bowel movementproblems have also arisen among various aged adults such as loss ofbladder control through childbirth or other medical reasons.Accordingly, there is a need for disposable adult undergarments, as wellas the disposable infant and toddler undergarments, and an apparatus andmethods for forming these undergarments.

OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

With the foregoing in mind, it is an object of the present invention toprovide a disposable undergarment forming apparatus and method forproducing disposable undergarments more efficiently.

It is also an object of the present invention to provide a disposableundergarment forming apparatus and method having a higher productionspeed.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a disposableundergarment forming apparatus and method having the flexibility toproduce both infant or toddler undergarments and adult undergarmentsmore efficiently.

It is also another object of the present invention to provide adisposable undergarment forming apparatus and method having theflexibility to produce different undergarment configurations efficientlywith only minor production line changes.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide adisposable undergarment forming apparatus and method for increasing thevalue and productivity of a disposable undergarment production line.

These objects and other advantageous of the present invention areprovided by a disposable undergarment apparatus for forming a pluralityof disposable undergarments which preferably includes core forming meansfor forming a stream of undergarment cores traveling along a path oftravel. The core forming means includes mat securing means for securingeach of a plurality of undergarment mats to a sheet of a polymericmaterial and first separating means positioned downstream from the matsecuring means for separating the stream of undergarment cores into aplurality of individual undergarment cores. The apparatus also includeswaistband forming means positioned adjacent the core forming for formingwaistbands and combining means positioned downstream from the coreforming means and positioned to receive the waistbands from thewaistband forming means for combining the waistbands with the pluralityof individual undergarment cores to thereby form a chain of a pluralityof undergarments. Folding means is positioned downstream from thecombining means for folding each of the plurality of undergarments ofthe chain. The folding means includes a core folder for folding each ofthe cores of the plurality of undergarments of the chain. Sideconnecting means is positioned downstream from the folding means forconnecting at least the side waistbands of each of the plurality ofundergarments of the chain, and second separating means is positioneddownstream from the side sealing means for separating the chain of theplurality of undergarments into a plurality of individual disposableundergarments.

Also, an apparatus for forming disposable undergarments according to thepresent invention, according to one embodiment, for example, furtherincludes core forming means having core elastic applying means forapplying elastic to side peripheries of the polymeric sheet and stand-upleg gather forming means positioned adjacent the core elastic applyingmeans for forming stand-up legs gathers on the polymeric sheet.

The stand-up leg gather forming means includes leg sealing means forsealing polymeric material so as to form a liquid impervious seal foreach of the stand-up leg gathers of the plurality of cores. The sideconnecting means preferably includes clamp conveying means positioneddownstream from the folding means for clamping and conveying the chainof the plurality of undergarments to and through the side connectingmeans and to the second separating means. Side-entry stacking means in aparticular form, for example, is positioned downstream from the secondseparating means for receiving a plurality of individual disposableundergarments from a side-entry position and for stacking the pluralityof disposable undergarments into a predetermined stack. Positionorienting means preferably is positioned between the second separatingmeans and the side-entry stacking means for positionally orienting theplurality of individual undergarments from a generally verticalorientation to a generally horizontal orientation for side entry intothe side-entry stacking means.

A disposable undergarment forming apparatus according to anotherspecific form of the present invention also advantageously includes coreorienting means positioned downstream from the core forming means fororienting each of the plurality of individual cores from a positionhaving a lengthwise extent in a direction of the path of travel tohaving the lengthwise extent positioned transverse the path of travel.The waistband forming means preferably includes dividing means fordividing a continuous sheet of non-woven material into a plurality ofcontinuous strips and strip combining means for combining strips ofelastic material with the plurality of continuous strips of non-wovenmaterial. The folding means preferably includes a waistband folderpositioned downstream from the combining means for folding each of thecontinuous waistband strips and a second folder positioned downstreamfrom the core folder for providing a second fold, e.g., a side fold, tothe folded cores of the plurality of undergarments of the chain. Theapparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention caninclude leg forming means positioned downstream from the core formingmeans for forming a pair of leg openings in each of the plurality ofundergarments of the chain, and wherein the side connecting meansfurther connects the side peripheries of each of the plurality ofundergarments from the waistbands to each of the pair of leg openings.

Additionally, a disposable undergarment forming apparatus according tothe present invention is provided for forming a disposable undergarment.The apparatus preferably has core forming means for forming at least oneundergarment core. The core forming means includes mat securing meansfor securing a lower surface of an undergarment mat to a sheet of apolymeric material. The apparatus also has waistband forming means forforming at least one waistband and combining means positioned downstreamfrom the core forming means and positioned to receive the at least onewaistband from the waistband forming means for securing the at least onewaistband to the at least one undergarment core to thereby form at leastone undergarment. Folding means is positioned downstream from thewaistband securing means for folding the at least one undergarment. Thefolding means includes a core folder for folding the core of theundergarment. Side connecting means is positioned downstream from thefolding means for connecting at least the side peripheries of the atleast one waistband of the undergarment.

Methods of forming disposable undergarments are also provided accordingto the present invention. A method includes securing a pair ofcontinuous strips of elastic waistband material to each of a pluralityof individual undergarment cores so as to form a chain of a plurality ofindividual undergarments, connecting side peripheries of at least thewaistband of each of the plurality of undergarments of the chain, andseparating the chain of the plurality of undergarment into individualundergarments.

Another method according to the present invention includes securingelastic waistband material extending along a path of travel to each of aplurality of elongate undergarment cores having a lengthwise extentpositioned transverse to the path of travel so as to form a chain of aplurality of individual undergarments, sealing side peripheries of atleast the waistband of each of the plurality of undergarments of thechain, and separating the chain of the plurality of undergarment intoindividual undergarments. The side sealing, for example, preferably isultrasonically sealing side peripheries of at least the waistband ofdisposable adult undergarment products and preferably includesultrasonically sealing side peripheries from the waistband to the legopenings of disposable brief products.

A further method of forming a plurality of disposable undergarmentsaccording to the present invention which preferably includes forming acontinuous stream of a plurality of elongate undergarment cores along apath of travel and separating the stream of the plurality ofundergarment cores into a plurality of individual elongate undergarmentcores intermittently-spaced along the path of travel. Each of theindividual undergarment cores are then oriented so that each lengthwiseextent is positioned transverse to the path of travel, and a pair ofcontinuous strips of elastic waistband material extending along the pathof travel are secured to each of the plurality of individualundergarment cores so as to form a chain of a plurality of individualundergarments. The method preferably also includes ultrasonicallysealing side peripheries of at least the waistband of each of theplurality of undergarments of the chain and separating the chain of theplurality of undergarments into individual undergarments.

An apparatus and methods of the present invention advantageously providea flexible and cost efficient disposable undergarment forming machineswhich can produce numerous disposable undergarments in a high speedproduction process. The apparatus and methods enhance currentmanufacturers ability to produce various configurations of undergarmentsin a cost efficient process, especially where the particularconfigurations are demanded or needed by the market but the volume, forexample, is significantly less than other product configurations.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Some of the objects, features, advantages, and uses of the presentinvention having been stated, others will become more apparent byreferring to the following detailed description and drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram of a disposable undergarment formingapparatus according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a schematic block diagram of a disposable undergarment formingapparatus according to the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a schematic perspective view of a disposable undergarmentforming apparatus according to a first embodiment of the presentinvention;

FIG. 4 is a schematic perspective view of a disposable undergarmentforming apparatus according to a second embodiment of the presentinvention;

FIG. 5A is a schematic perspective view of a mat former, a core former,a core rotator, and a waistband core combiner of a disposableundergarment forming apparatus according to a first embodiment of thepresent invention;

FIG. 5B is a schematic perspective view of a mat former, a core former,a core rotator, and a waistband/core combiner of a disposableundergarment forming apparatus according to a second embodiment of thepresent invention;

FIG. 6A is a schematic perspective view of a folder, a side connector,an undergarment separator, and a side-entry stacker of a disposableundergarment forming apparatus according to a first embodiment of thepresent invention;

FIG. 6B is a schematic perspective view of a folder, a side connector,an undergarment separator, and a side-entry stacker of a disposableundergarment forming apparatus according to a second embodiment of thepresent invention;

FIG. 7 is a schematic perspective view of a folder of a disposableundergarment forming apparatus according to the present invention;

FIG. 8 is a schematic perspective view of a clamping conveyor of a sideconnector of a disposable undergarment forming apparatus according tothe present invention;

FIG. 9 is a schematic perspective view of an undergarment positionorientor, a compression conveyor, a side entry stacker, a stackingcompressor, a packaging conveyor, and a bagging device of a disposableundergarment forming apparatus according to a first embodiment of thepresent invention;

FIG. 10 is a schematic perspective view of an undergarment positionorientor, a compression conveyor, a side entry stacker, a stackingcompressor, a packaging conveyor, and a bagging device of a Addisposable undergarment forming apparatus according to a secondembodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 11 is a schematic perspective view of a side-entry stacker of adisposable undergarment forming apparatus according to the presentinvention;

FIG. 12 is a fragmentary perspective view of a core of a disposableundergarment formed by a disposable undergarment forming apparatusaccording to the present invention; and

FIG. 13 is a top plan view of an embodiment of a side connector and aside connector drive of a disposable undergarment forming apparatusaccording to the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present invention will now be described more fully hereinafter withreference to the accompanying drawings in which preferred embodiments ofthe invention are shown. This invention, however, can be embodied inmany different forms and should not be construed as limited to theillustrated embodiments set forth herein. Rather, applicants providethese embodiments so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete,and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in theart. Like numbers refer to like elements throughout.

FIGS. 1-2 schematically illustrate block diagrams of a disposableundergarment forming apparatus for forming a plurality of disposableundergarments (see e.g., FIG. 12) according to the present invention.The apparatus 20 preferably includes a frame 25, including a pluralityof frame members as illustrated, and core forming means, e.g., a coreformer 50, mounted to the frame 25 for forming a stream or a sheet S ofa plurality of elongate undergarment cores C traveling along a path oftravel P generally indicated by the flow arrows. The cores C, as well asother portions of undergarments U, preferably are conveyed or drivenalong the path of travel P by various conveyors which include respectiveconveyor drives of the apparatus 20 as understood by those skilled inthe art. The apparatus 20 preferably also includes control means, suchas one or more controllers, connected to the conveyors and the variousother portions of the apparatus 20 described further herein forcontrolling various stages of the undergarment forming apparatus 20during the formation and production of undergarments U. The controllers,e.g., controllers 162, 192, preferably are microprocessor or othercomputer based controls and can include a plurality of optical encodersas understood by those skilled in the art.

As best illustrated in FIGS. 1-4, mat forming means, e.g., a mat former30, is positioned upstream from the core forming means 50 for forming amat M for each of the cores C produced by the apparatus 20. The matformer 30, as best illustrated in FIGS. 3-4, as well as FIGS. 1-2,preferably includes a feeder 31 for feeding a super absorbent polymer(“SAP”) and a pulp source 32. The pulp source 32 preferably includesrolled pulp mounted on pulp feed rolls 32 a and a pulp grinder 32 b forgrinding the pulp. The SAP and pulp are fed to a forming chamber 33where the pulp is mixed with the SAP to form a stream or continuous flowof bulked mat material at a mat material former 34. The mat material ofthe mat M forms a significant part of the core C of an undergarment andassists in forming an absorbent portion of the core C for collectingmoisture such as urination from an adult or infant. A sheet of tissuefrom a tissue source 34 a is preferably positioned to underlie thebulked mat material, and the combination is conveyed by a debulkingconveyor 35 to a debulker 36 (see e.g., FIG. 12). The tissue can also bepositioned to underlie the mat material and wrapped around, e.g., so asto overlie, the mat material as well. From the debulker 36, the debulkedstream of mat material is embossed by an embosser 37 and cut into aplurality of individual mats M by a mat knife or mat separator 38positioned downstream from the embosser 37.

The individual mats M are then intermittently-spaced and conveyed by aconveyor along the path P of travel to the core forming means 50. Thecore forming means 50 of the apparatus 20 preferably includes matsecuring means, e.g., a mat/backsheet combiner 51, for securing a lowersurface of each of the plurality of intermittently-spaced elongateundergarment mats M to an upper surface of a sheet S, e.g., backsheet B,of a polymeric material traveling along the path of travel P so thatside lengthwise peripheries of the intermittently-spaced elongateundergarment mats M are positioned generally parallel to side lengthwiseperipheries of the polymeric sheet B. The polymeric core backing sheet Bis preferably supplied by a sheet sourc 40 such as a wound roll of thepolymeric sheet material mounted on feed rolls. The undergarment mats Mare preferably secured to the polymeric backing sheet B by an adhesivematerial such as glue from an adhesive applicator. Such adhesiveapplicators as described and referenced in various positions herein willbe understood by those skilled in the art.

Core elastic applying means, e.g., a core elastic applicator 45, ispositioned downstream from the mat securing means 51 for applying stripsof elongate elastic material to the upper surfaces of the sidelengthwise peripheries of the polymeric sheet B adjacent and generallyparallel to the intermittently-spaced elongate undergarment mats M. Thecore elastic applicator 45 preferably includes a source of core elastic,a feeder for feeding the core elastic to the polymeric backing sheet B,and an adhesive applicator for applying adhesive to either the backingsheet or the core elastic to thereby secure the core elastic to thebacking sheet B.

The core forming means 50 further includes stand-up leg gather formingmeans, illustrated as a stand-up leg gather (“SULG”) former 60,positioned adjacent the core elastic applying means 54 for formingstand-up legs gathers on the polymeric sheet B, as best illustrated inFIG. 12, which inhibit liquid such as from urination from leaking fromthe legs of the undergarment U. Although various single-piece,three-piece, and other configurations of an SULG, as understood by thoseskilled in the art, can be formed by the apparatus 20 of the presentinvention, the stand-up leg gather forming means 60 according to thepresent invention preferably includes leg sealing means, e.g., a sealer65, for sealing polymeric material so as to form a liquid imperviousseal around each of the SULGs of the plurality of cores C. The sealer 65preferably is an adhesive or heat seat applied between the layers ofpolymeric material (e.g., see FIG. 12). The seal, e.g., heat oradhesive, is preferably formed between the SULG polymeric material andthe polymeric backing sheet B to inhibit leakage of moisture or liquidfrom and around the mat material and legs.

The SULGs are formed by a first sheet of polymeric material suppliedfrom an SULG polymeric sheet source 61, a plurality of elongate elasticstrips supplied from an SULG elastic source 61, and a top sheet ofnon-woven material supplied from a top sheet non-woven sheet source 63.The sheet of SULG polymeric material is divided into two strips, one foreach leg. A first set of strips, e.g., one or more strips, of elasticmaterial is positioned to extend adjacent a lengthwise side periphery ofthe backing sheet B, and each strip of polymeric material is positionedto overlie the first set of elastic strips and extend between thelengthwise side periphery and the mat material. The seal between thepolymeric sheet material as described above is formed.

The non-woven sheet material overlies and adheres to the polymericmaterial along each leg, but also overlies the mat material of the coreC. A second set of elastic strips, e.g., one or more elastic strips, arealso positioned along peripheries of each of the SULG polymeric stripsadjacent the mat material. These elastic strips preferably arepositioned between the non-woven sheet material and the polymeric strip.These first and second sets of elastic strips preferably are applied tothe surface of the backing sheet B in an extended position so that whenthe strips are relaxed or retracted, the backing sheet B, the SULGpolymeric strips, and the non-woven sheet gather or form gathersextending lengthwise along what will become the legs of the core C.This, for example, allows the SULGs which eventually become the SULGs ofthe undergarments to be stretched when positioning the undergarment on auser to thereby provide a snug and comfortable fit around the legs of auser when relaxed or retracted. The portion of the SULG polymericstrips, the second set of elastic strips, and the portion of thenon-woven sheet adjacent lengthwise peripheries of the mat material areformed to extend upwardly away from the upper surface of the matmaterial and the backing sheet as illustrated.

The core forming means 50 also includes first separating means 53, e.g.,a core separator 53 such as a knife or blade, positioned downstream fromthe core elastic applying means 45 for separating the stream ofintermittently-spaced elongate undergarment cores C into a plurality ofindividual undergarment cores C. The core separator 53 preferably is aknife mounted to a drum cylinder or roll having a predeterminedcircumference and which overlies and periodically contacts the stream ofcores C. The knife extends the length or height of the drum cylinder soas to form a relatively small cutting line. The drum cylinder is mountedto rotate so that during one rotation cycle the knife cuts the stream ofcores C only one time to thereby produce a plurality of individual coresC during a corresponding plurality of rotations. It will be understoodby those skilled in the art, however, that other core separator 53configurations could be used as well such as multiple blades on a largerdrum cylinder.

Additionally, the apparatus 20 includes core orienting means, e.g., acore rotator 70, positioned downstream from the core forming means 50for orienting, e.g., preferably by rotating each core C about 90degrees, each of the plurality of individual elongate undergarment coresC to a position having a lengthwise extent of the cores C transverse thepath of travel P. The core rotator 70 preferably lifts the individualcores from the surface of the conveyor, rotates the core to a positiontransverse the path of travel P, and then releases the core for otherdownstream operations. The lifting of the core is preferably performedby a vacuum or suction system which can accommodate the lifting androtating of a plurality of cores C so that the production line operationcontinues in a smooth process.

The vacuum system preferably includes a main vacuum chamber having avacuum source connected thereto and a plurality of core lifting membersarranged so that flexible tube portions of the core lifting membersabuttingly contact and are in fluid communication with the vacuumchamber. The vacuum chamber provides a vacuum lift for each of theplurality of lifting members when the lifting members are in contactwith the vacuum chamber 71.

The plurality of lifting members preferably are mounted to drive means,e.g., a cam drive and motor, so as to rotate around the main chamber.Each lifting member includes a pair of mounting arms connected to thedrive means and a core plate member pivotally mounted to the pair ofmounting arms. A flexible tube connects to and extends outwardly fromthe core plate member. Each flexible tube has a distal end thereofarranged for abuttingly contacting the vacuum chamber. The core platepreferably is arranged to be positioned so as to overlie an individualcore for lifting the core for orientation when the flexible tubecontacts and is in fluid communication with the vacuum chamber.

Each lifting member is arranged for rotating the core from the positionhaving a lengthwise extent travelling in the direction of the path oftravel P to the position transverse the path of travel P. Upon reachinga predetermined position, the lifting member releases the core C andcontinues to rotate around the main chamber so as to return for liftinganother core in the production process. The pivotal mount for rotatingeach core plate member, for example, can be accomplished by a pivot armfixedly connected to the core plate member for pivoting the core platemember responsive to the pivot arm. A biasing member, e.g, a compressionspring, preferably is mounted to the pivot arm. The compression springis preferably biased in a position so that the direction of the coreplate member has a lengthwise extent corresponding to a direction of thepath of travel P. When the core plate member arrives or is driven to apredetermined position by the drive means, the pivot arm is guided, by aguide member connected to the frame 25, so that the core plate memberpivots to a position having the lengthwise extent of the core platemember now extending transverse to the path of travel P.

The orienting or rotating the cores so as to have lengthwise extentstransverse the path of travel P allows for the apparatus 20 to have areduced number of and a more narrow glue or adhesive application pathfor one or more glue or adhesive applicators to secure the waistbands tothe cores downstream. The glue or adhesive is preferably applied beforerotation of the cores. It can also allow for a reduced amount ofadhesive to be used for each undergarment and thereby reduce theproduction costs associated with each undergarment.

Elastic waistband forming means, e.g., a waistband former feeder 80,preferably is positioned adjacent the core rotating means 50 and to feedwaistbands closely adjacent the plurality of individual cores and can bepositioned to form at least two continuous strips of elongate elasticmaterial extending along the path of travel P for forming elongateelastic waistbands W. The waistband forming means preferably is formed“off-line” from the path of travel P for ease of modifying the type ofwaistband that can be used for a given product. It will be understood bythose skilled in the art, however, that the waistband forming means 80can also be positioned “in-line” as well. The waistband forming means 80includes dividing means, e.g., a sheet divider 82, for dividing acontinuous sheet of non-woven material supplied from a non-woven sheetsource 81 into the plurality of continuous strips and strip combiningmeans, e.g., a strip combining means, e.g., a strip combiner 85, forcombining strips of elastic material from a waistband elastic supplysource 83 with the plurality of continuous strips of non-woven material.

The plurality of continuous strips as described above preferablyincludes four strips of non-woven material. These four strips form twopairs of continuous waistband strips. Each waistband strip has an upperand a lower non-woven strip and one or more, e.g., preferably four,elastic strips positioned therebetween. Two of the four non-woven stripspreferably have greater widths than the other two non-woven strips.These two greater width non-woven strips preferably form the lowernon-woven strips of the two pairs of continuous waistband strips. Theone or more elastic strips preferably are only adhered to a medialportion of the lower non-woven strips so that lengthwise peripheryportions of the lower non-woven strips remain unelasticized. After theupper and lower non-woven strips and the elastic strip(s) are combined,one of the non-elasticized lengthwise periphery portions of each uppernon-woven strip is folded by a folding guide member so as to now overlieand adhere to at least lengthwise peripheries of the upper non-wovenstrip. This fold, for example, will provide a smooth closure or sealedsurface to the waistband strips and will eventually downstream becomethe lower portion of the waistband of the undergarment as describedfurther herein.

The one or more elastic strips preferably are adhered to and positionedbetween the upper and lower non-woven strips, as well as the waistbandstrips being adhered to the individual cores as described furtherherein, in an extended position so that when released to the retractedor relaxed position, the waistband strips have a plurality of gathersformed therein. This, for example, allows the waistband strips whicheventually become the waistbands of the undergarments to be stretchedwhen positioning the undergarment on a user to thereby provide a snugand comfortable fit to the waist of a user when retracted or relaxed.

Combining means, e.g., waistband/core combiner 100, is positioneddownstream from the core forming means 50 and is positioned to receivethe two continuous waistband strips of elongate elastic material fromthe elastic waistband forming means 80 along the path of travel P forrespectively combining each of the two elongate elastic strips ofmaterial so as to be secured to, e.g., by using a glue or otheradhesive, the respective side peripheries, e.g., lateral or widthwisesides, of each of the plurality of individual undergarment cores Ctraveling transverse to the path of travel to thereby form a chain of aplurality of undergarments U joined by the elongate elastic waistbandsW. The combiner 100 preferably includes a plurality of feed and/or drawrolls positioned to cooperate with a conveyor which conveys thetransversely positioned cores along the path of travel P. The rollspreferably feed or draw the waistband and, optionally, leg elastic tocombine with the cores.

The lateral or widthwise peripheries of each individual core Cpreferably is glued or adhesively applied to the spaced-apart pair ofwaistband strips of the combiner. The lateral peripheries of each core Cpreferably are initially secured to the waistband strips so as tooverlie the waistband strips. As will be described further herein, thegreater widthwise lower strips of the waistband strips are later folded(see e.g., FIGS. 5A-5B) so that portions of what was designated as thelower non-woven strip now overlie the lateral side peripheries of thecore and what was designated as the upper non-woven strip.

A leg elastic source 105, according to another embodiment of the presentinvention, can supply additional leg elastic at this stage of theproduction process, or further upstream, for combining with and into thewaistband/core combiner 100. The leg elastic is preferably adhered tothe lengthwise peripheries of each of the plurality of cores adjacentthe SULGs in an extended position so that when the leg elastic isreleased to a retracted or relaxed position gathers are formed aroundthese lengthwise peripheries. This, for example, allows the leg gatherswhich eventually become the legs of the undergarments to be stretchedwhen positioning the undergarment on a user to thereby provide a snugand comfortable fit around the legs of a user when relaxed or retracted.

As particularly illustrated in FIG. 7, folding means 130 is positioneddownstream from the combining means 100 for folding each of theplurality of undergarments U of the chain. The folding means, e.g., afolder 130, includes a waistband folder 132 for folding the pair ofcontinuous waistband strips of material forming the waistbands W of thechain. The waistband folder 132 preferably includes waistband guidemembers which fold portions of the lower non-woven strip which do nothave elastic adhered thereto so as now to overlie the upper non-wovenstrip and lateral peripheries of each individual core. This waistbandfolder 130 thereby forms both a waistband seal and a smooth innersurface for interfacing with or abuttingly contacting the waist of auser.

The folder 130 also has a core folder 136 positioned downstream from thewaistband folder 132 for bi-folding each of the cores C of the pluralityof undergarments U of the chain so that the two continuous strips ofwaistband material are positioned adjacent and in close relation to eachother. The core folder 136, e.g., a first or primary core folder,preferably includes a core folding guide member which abuttinglycontacts each of the plurality of individual cores which now have thelengthwise extents thereof travelling in a transverse direction to thepath of travel P. The core folder 136 preferably also includes a firstcompressor 136a positioned downstream from the core folding guide memberfor compressing the core after it has been folded.

The folder 130 further has an undergarment second core folder 138, e.g.,a side folder, positioned downstream from the core folder for foldingeach of the bi-folded cores of the plurality of undergarments U of thechain a second time. The side folder 138, or secondary folder,preferably includes a roller guide member and a belt member cooperatingwith the roller guide member which guide the lower extending peripheriesof the bi-folded core upwardly so as to now be positioned adjacent thewaistband strips as illustrated. The side folder 138 preferably alsoincludes a second compressor 138 a preferably positioned downstream fromthe roller guide and the belt member for compressing the core after thesecond or side fold. Although the side folder 138 is applicable to alltypes of garments, it is particularly applicable to adult undergarmentswhich generally include cores having a greater lengthwise extent thanthose for infants or toddlers. The side folder 138, for example, allowsthe core to be folded to a more compact position for handling, stacking,and/or packaging further downstream.

As best illustrated in FIGS. 3-4, 5A-5B, and 8, side connecting means,e.g., a side connector 150, is positioned downstream from the foldingmeans 130 for intermittently connecting at least portions of the twocontinuous strips of waistband material extending between each of theplurality of cores C of the plurality of undergarments U of the chain toform side peripheries of individual undergarments U. The side connectingmeans 150 preferably includes clamp conveying means, e.g., a clampconveyor 155, positioned downstream from the folding means 140 forreceiving, clamping, and conveying the chain of the plurality ofundergarments U to and through a side sealer 160 and to secondseparating means, e.g., a final knife or an undergarment separator 170.

The clamp conveyor 155 preferably includes clamp driving meanspositioned adjacent and cooperating with the side folder for drivingclamps undergarments downstream and a plurality of clamping membersmounted to the clamp driving means for clamping the undergarments duringconveyance downstream. The clamp driving means preferably includes apair of cam drives mounted to the frame 25, positioned adjacent eachother, and positioned so as to overlie the chain of undergarmentstraveling along the path of travel P. Each cam drive has a pair ofspaced-apart drive wheels, e.g., sprocket or gear plates, with a drivelinkage, e.g., a drive chain, mounted to and extending between eachdrive wheel. A motor connects to at least one of the drive wheels forrotating the drive wheel to advance the drive linkage. The plurality ofclamping members preferably extend downwardly from the drive linkage andare mounted to be linearly driven by the rotation of the drive linkageabout the drive wheel. The pair of cam drives are positioned so that aclamp is provided by one of the plurality of clamping members of one camdrive rotating to a position so as to align with a mating or oppositeclamp on the other cam drive as illustrated. Each of the distal ends ofthe clamping members have roughened surfaces, e.g., rubber interfaceplates, which assist in the grabbing and clamping of the chain, as wellas individual, undergarments when the mating clamping members from eachcam drive positionally align and inhibit static or other electricalbuild-up between the chain and the clamp.

Preferably, the mating clamping members are arranged to align in sets oftwo space-apart and mating clamps so that one mating clamp of the setclamps and conveys the waistband and peripheral portions of the core ofeach individual undergarment and the other mating clamp of the setclamps and conveys a portion of the waistband of the chain for what willbecome an individual undergarment. The mating clamps preferably areposition to and cooperate with the side folder to hold the side-foldedundergarment in the side-folded position during conveyance.

The side sealer 160 of the side connecting means 150 preferably isconnected to the frame 25 and is positioned to ultrasonically andconnectively seal the intermittent portions of the waistband material ofthe chain as the undergarments are being conveyed. The side sealer 160preferably includes a horn assembly 161 having a horn rotatably mountedon the frame 25 along one side of the path of travel P and an anvilassembly 166 rotatably mounted on the other side of the path of travel Pand positionally aligned with the horn assembly 161 so as to seal orclamp opposing portions of the waistband strips together for sealingthereof.

Examples of such a horn and an anvil assembly 161, 166 are illustratedand described in co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 07/884,804filed on May 19, 1992 and which is hereby incorporated herein byreference. More particularly, the horn assembly and the anvil assembly,according to a first embodiment, are each mounted on a pair ofspace-apart drive wheels which are pivotally connected to a drive rod.Each of the drive wheels preferably is rotated by a corresponding shaftand gear arrangement, including corresponding gears, with each of thedrive gears being driving by a respective pinion. An ultrasonic horn ismounted to a distal end of one drive rod, and an ultrasonic anvil ismounted to the distal end of the other drive rod. The anvil is mountedto a back plate via an air bladder which is capable of being alternatelyinflated and deflated from an air supply. This construction permits theanvil to be inflated outwardly toward the horn and also imparts asignificant degree of flexibility and alignment to the anvil via the airbladder. The anvil preferably is also cooled to reduce glue or adhesivebuild up in the sealing process.

In operation, rotation of each pair of drive wheels results in thereciprocal movement of the corresponding drive rod toward the chain orweb of undergarments. It will be understood by those skilled in the artthat with the provision of the inflatable bladder, the anvil is impartedwith a significant degree of flexibility or compressibility whichthereby permits the horn and the anvil to be in contact with each otherfor a much greater period of time during movement of the chain throughthe side sealer along the path of travel P. This results in a muchbetter forming of weld seams in the chain. Additionally, the timing ofthe application of the horn and anvil preferably is such so as toincrease the benefits of the sealing process.

FIG. 13 illustrates an additional embodiment of a side connector 160 anda side connector drive 180 according to the present invention. In thisembodiment, the side connector 160 is also an ultrasonic side sealerwhich includes a horn assembly 161 and an anvil assembly 166. Drivingmeans, e.g., a side connector drive 180, is preferably connected to theside sealer 169 for driving the side sealer along the path of travel.The drive 180 preferably includes a motor 181, e.g., a servo-motor asunderstood by those skilled in the art, connected to the frame 25 and awheel and a crank assembly 185 connected to the motor. The wheel andcrank assembly 185 rotate corresponding to the rotation of a drive shaft181 a and belt 181 b connected to the motor 181 as shown by the arrows.The wheel and crank assembly 185 includes a bar link 185 b connected toa wheel 185 a and connected to a portion of the side sealer 160 asillustrated. The drive 180 preferably drives the side sealer 160 alongthe path of travel P, e.g., upstream and downstream, as indicated by thearrows and is preferably controlled and synchronized so that the sidesealer 160 is driven downstream at a speed synchronous to the speed ofthe clamp conveyor 155 having the chain of undergarments U positionedthereon.

More particularly, the side sealer 160 of this embodiment has a mainsupport shaft 169 connected to the frame 25 and oriented in the samedirection as the path of travel P. A pair of loading cam support shafts168 a, 168 b also connect to the frame 25 and extend transverse to,e.g., orthogonal, the main support shaft 169. A main shuttle 165 isslidably mounted to the main support shaft 169 and is connected to thewheel and crank assembly 185 of the drive 180. Each of the horn andanvil assemblies 161, 166 preferably connect to first and second cams163 a, 163 b, 167 a, 167 b which load and unload or open and close therespective assemblies 161, 166 during operation. The first cam 163 a,167 a has an air bag 164 a, 164 b, e.g., a loading air bag, connectedthereto which assists in turning the first cam 163 a, 167 a on and offby introducing air into the air bag 164 a, 164 b or deflating the airbag 164 a, 164 b as necessary and helps maintain synchronization for asmooth process. The air bags 164 a, 164 b push the first cam 163 a, 167a against the second cam 163 b, 167 b which preferably runs at aboutone-half the speed of the corresponding cam wheel, or, in other words,the second cam 163 b, 167 b preferably is a double cam.

To control this portion of the operation, the air supplied to the airbags 164 a, 164 b is regulated by a plurality of regulator valves andsolenoid valves, preferably including quick-exhaust functions,positioned in fluid communication with the air bags 164 a, 164 b and anair source. This air control system preferably also controls theseparate air bladder 166 a or bladders of the anvil assembly 166 asdescribed above with respect to the previous embodiment. As describedabove herein, by use of the inflatable bladder 166 a, the anvil 166 b isimparted with a significant degree of flexibility or compressibilitywhich thereby permits the horn 161 a and the anvil 166 b to be incontact with each other for a much greater period of time duringmovement of the undergarment chain through the side sealer 160 along thepath of travel P. The second cam 163 b, 167 b assists with the openingand closing of the horn and anvil assemblies 161, 166 after the mainshuttle speed synchronizes with the clamp conveyor speed. The horn andanvil assemblies 161, 166 are each connected to the second cam 163 b,167 b and each slidably mount to a pair of spaced-apart assembly supportmembers 188 a, 188 b, 189 a, 189 b as illustrated for movement in adirection toward the product as shown by the arrows.

After the main shuttle 165 and the horn and anvil assemblies 161, 166are positioned upstream and begin to move downstream at a speedsynchronized with the clamp conveyor speed, the horn 161 a and the anvil166 b close and hold side periphery portions of the waistband material,e.g., pair of waistband material. The assemblies 161, 166 are energizedto provide ultrasonic energy to the material positioned between the horn161 a and the anvil 166 b. The material melts and the ultrasonic energyis stopped. The horn and anvil 161 a, 166 b, however, remain closed sothat the material positioned therebetween will cool and resolidify tothereby form a seal or bond between the pair of waistband material.

As best illustrated in FIGS. 6A-6B, second separating means, e.g., anundergarment separator 170, is positioned downstream from the sideconnecting means 160 for separating the connective seal of the portionsof the continuous strips of waistband material of the chain into aplurality of individual disposable undergarments U. The secondseparating means is preferably a final knife fixedly mounted to theframe and arranged to periodically cut the chain of the plurality ofundergarments U. It will be understood by those skilled in the art,however, that other undergarment separator 170 configurations, as wellas the other separators described herein, could be used as well,including various blade configurations, optical configurations (e.g.,laser), and wire-type cutter configurations. The driving means of theside connector preferably is electrically connected to and tracks withor is synchronized with the undergarment separator 170 so that theposition and timing for cutting or separating the chain into individualundergarments advantageously occurs at the right time and position onthe seal of the waistband material.

As best illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 9-11, stacking and packaging means190 is positioned downstream from the undergarment separator 170 forstacking and packaging the individual undergarments U roduced. Thestacking and packaging means 190 preferably includes position orientingmeans, e.g., a position orientor 175, positioned downstream from thesecond separating means 170 for positionally orienting the plurality ofindividual undergarments U from a generally vertical orientation to thegenerally horizontal orientation for side-entry stacking as illustrated.The individual undergarments U are compressed and conveyed by acompression conveyor 178 to a position for stacking. The compressionconveyor 178 preferably includes a compression conveying drive, aplurality of compression rolls connected to the drive, and a pluralityof belts slidably mounted to the rolls. During the driving of the rollsby the conveying drive, the belts compress and convey the individualundergarments along the path of travel P to the stacking meanspositioned downstream therefrom.

Side-entry stacking means, e.g., a side-entry stacker 191, of thestacking and packaging means, as illustrated in FIGS. 9-11, ispositioned downstream from the second separating means 170, the positionorienting means 175, and the compression conveyor 178 for receiving aplurality of individual disposable undergarments U from the generallyhorizontal side-entry position and for stacking the plurality ofdisposable undergarments U into a predetermined stack. The side-entrystacker 190 is preferably positioned transverse the path of travel P soas to advantageously provide a shorter linear path of travel and shorterfootprint for the apparatus 20. The stacker 190 preferably includes abase and a plurality of space-apart guiding arms rotatably mounted tothe base. The side-entry stacker 190 can also include a stop member 193positioned to stop each of the plurality of compressed undergarments ina predetermined stop position after being conveyed by the compressionconveyor 178. The spaced-apart guiding arms 191 a then rotate adjacentthe predetermined stop position and individually lift each of theundergarments so that the undergarments are positioned between theguiding arms and transported to a stacker output position which providesstacks of undergarments. The stacker also preferably includes acontroller 192 for controlling the rotating guiding arms 191 a and fortracking and/or counting the individual undergarments U. The controller192 also allows an operator to set the number of undergarments to bearranged in the stacks for various sized or types of packaging orbagging.

After the plurality of individual undergarments U are stacked, the stackof undergarments U is compressed by a stacking compressor 196 of theside-entry stacker and conveyed by a packaging conveyor 197 of thestacking and packaging means 190 to a position for packaging or bagging198. The packaging or bagging means of the stacking and packaging means190 preferably includes a loader 198 a as understood by those skilled inthe art which assists in the bagging of the stack of undergarments U byproduction process personnel such as designated undergarment baggers.

Preferably, a scrap/reject or bulk receiving source 199 is alsopositioned between the undergarment separator 170 and the stacking andpackaging 190. This scrap/reject or bulk receiving source 199 alsoprovides flexibility in the operation of the apparatus 20 as an outletfor a jam, a line down, or other operational problems that may arise.

In a second embodiment of the present invention as particularlyillustrated in FIGS. 4 and 6B, an apparatus 20′ according to the presentinvention preferably includes leg forming means, e.g., a leg former 95,positioned downstream from the core forming means for forming a pair ofleg openings in each of the plurality of undergarments of the chain.This particular embodiment forms a brief product preferably used by anadult, but can also be used by a toddler. The leg forming means 95includes layer applying means for applying a continuous layer ofnon-woven material so as to underlie each of the plurality of individualundergarment cores U, leg elastic applying means 105 positioneddownstream from the layer applying means for applying leg elasticbetween the layer of non-woven material and the waistbands, and legcutting means 125 positioned downstream from the layer applying meansfor cutting the pair of leg openings in the layer of non-woven material.The side connecting means 150, e.g., a side sealer 160 as describedabove herein, according to this second embodiment, further connects theside peripheries of each of the plurality of undergarments from thewaistbands, along the side peripheries of the layer of non-wovenmaterial, and to each of the pair of leg openings.

As illustrated in FIGS. 1-13 methods of forming disposable undergarmentsU are also provided according to the present invention. A methodincludes securing a pair of continuous strips of elastic waistbandmaterial to each of a plurality of individual undergarment cores C so asto form a chain of a plurality of individual undergarments U, connectingside peripheries of at least the waistband of each of the plurality ofundergarments U of the chain, and separating the chain of the pluralityof undergarment into individual undergarments.

The method can also include rotating each of the plurality of individualcores C, e.g., see FIGS. 3-5B, to a position having a lengthwise extenttransverse a path of travel P of the continuous strips, conveying thechain of the plurality of undergarments for side sealing at least thewaistband of each of the plurality of undergarments U of the chain, anddriving a side sealer 160 for sealing side peripheries of a waistband ofan undergarment at a speed synchronous to the conveying speed. Theplurality of separated individual undergarments U can be positionallyoriented from a generally vertical orientation to a generally horizontalorientation (see e.g., FIGS. 9-10). The plurality of individualdisposable undergarments U are then preferably received from aside-entry position and stacking the plurality of disposableundergarments U into a predetermined stack.

The method can further include dividing a continuous sheet of non-wovenmaterial into a plurality of continuous strips and combining strips ofelastic material with the plurality of continuous strips of non-wovenmaterial so as to form the pair of continuous strips of elasticwaistband material. Additionally, the cores C of each of the pluralityof undergarments U of the chain can be folded and a second fold such asa side fold applied to each of the folded cores of the plurality ofundergarments of the chain prior to the step of sealing side peripheriesof at least the waistbands. In an alternative embodiment, a pair of legopenings in each of the plurality of undergarments of the chain andsealing the side peripheries of each of the plurality of undergarmentsfrom the waistbands to each of the pair of leg openings.

Another method according to the present invention includes securingelastic waistband material extending along a path of travel P to each ofa plurality of elongate undergarment cores C having a lengthwise extentpositioned transverse to the path of travel so as to form a chain of aplurality of individual undergarments U, sealing side peripheries of atleast the waistband of each of the plurality of undergarments U of thechain, and separating the chain of the plurality of undergarment intoindividual undergarments U. The side sealing, for example, preferably isultrasonically sealing side peripheries of at least the waistband ofdisposable adult undergarment products and preferably includesultrasonically sealing side peripheries from the waistband to the legopenings of disposable brief products. Additional method steps describedabove may also be used in this method as well.

Many modifications and other embodiments of the invention will come tothe mind of one skilled in the art having the benefit of the teachingspresented in the foregoing descriptions and the associated drawings.Accordingly, it is understood that the invention is not to be limited tothe illustrated embodiments disclosed, and that the modifications andembodiments are intended to be included within the spirit and scope ofthe invention as described in the foregoing specification and as definedin the appended claims.

That which is claimed:
 1. A disposable undergarment forming apparatusfor forming a plurality of disposable undergarments, the apparatuscomprising: core forming means for forming a stream of undergarmentcores traveling along a path of travel, each of the lengthwise extent ofthe stream of undergarment cores traveling in substantially parallel tothe path of travel; core orienting means positioned in-line with anddownstream from said core forming means for in-line orienting theplurality of individual cores along the path of travel so as to orientsaid cores from having a lengthwise extent positioned substantiallyparallel to the in-line path of travel to having the lengthwise extentpositioned substantially transverse to the in-line path of travel;waistband forming means positioned adjacent said core orienting meansfor forming waistbands, the waistband forming means comprising dividingmeans for dividing a continuous sheet of non-woven material into aplurality of continuous strips and strip combining means for combiningstrips of elastic material with the plurality of continuous strips ofnon-woven material; combining means positioned in-line with anddownstream from said core orienting means and positioned to receive thewaistbands from said waistband forming means for combining thewaistbands with the plurality of individual undergarment cores tothereby form a chain of a plurality of undergarments; folding meanspositioned downstream from said combining means for folding each of theplurality of undergarments of the chain, said folding means including acore folder for folding each of the cores of the plurality ofundergarments of the chain, a waistband folder for folding each of thecontinuous waistband strips, and a side folder positioned downstreamfrom said core folder for side folding the folded cores of the pluralityof undergarments of the chain; side connecting means positioneddownstream from said folding means for connecting at least the sidewaistbands of each of the plurality of undergarments of the chain; andseparating means positioned downstream from said side connecting meansfor separating the chain of the plurality of undergarments into aplurality of individual disposable undergarments.
 2. An apparatus asdefined in claim 1, wherein said core forming means includes matsecuring means for securing each of a plurality of undergarment mats toa sheet of a polymeric material, elastic applying means for applyingelastic to side peripheries of the polymeric sheet, stand-up leg gatherforming means positioned adjacent said core elastic applying means forforming stand-up legs gathers on the polymeric sheet, and a coreseparator positioned downstream from said mat securing means forseparating the stream of undergarment cores into a plurality ofindividual undergarment cores core.
 3. An apparatus as defined in claim2, wherein said stand-up leg gather forming means includes leg sealingmeans for sealing polymeric material so as to form a liquid imperviousseal for each of the stand-up leg gathers of the plurality of cores. 4.An apparatus as defined in claim 1, further comprising clamp conveyingmeans positioned downstream from said folding means for clamping andconveying the chain of the plurality of folded undergarments to andthrough said side connecting means and to said separating means anddriving means connected to said side connecting means for driving saidside connecting means along the path of travel at a speed correspondingto conveying speed of said clamp conveying means.
 5. An apparatus asdefined in claim 1, further comprising side-entry stacking meanspositioned downstream from said separating means for receiving aplurality of individual disposable undergarments from a side-entryposition and for stacking the plurality of disposable undergarments intoa predetermined stack.
 6. An apparatus as defined in claim 5, furthercomprising an undergarment position orientor positioned between saidseparating means and said side-entry stacking means for positionallyorienting the plurality of individual undergarments from a generallyvertical orientation to a generally horizontal orientation.
 7. Anapparatus as defined in claim 1, further comprising leg forming meanspositioned downstream from said core forming means for forming a pair ofleg openings in each of the plurality of undergarments of the chain, andwherein said side connecting means further connects the side peripheriesof each of the plurality of undergarments from the waistbands to each ofthe pair of leg openings.